One person is dead, and 18 others are being treated for botulism as Fairfield Medical Center. Health officials say all of the people who are ill attended a potluck at Cross Pointe Free Will Baptist Church Sunday.
Health officials 50 to 60 people attended the potluck.
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University of Maine researcher has received a $4.9-million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop ways of using non-thermal technologies to control microbial contamination of low-moisture foods.
Dr. Vivian Wu, a professor of food science, will be lead researcher on a five-year project to explore new technologies to better control microbial contamination of low-moisture foods, such as cereals, nuts and spices, without using heat.
“Heat is a very effective way to control microbial contamination, but there are food products that heat just doesn’t work that well,” she said, mentioning such foods as produce and grains. “We want to develop nonthermal processing techniques to eliminate, to maintain the safety of produce and low-moisture food.”
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today warned consumers not to consume La Clarita Queseria Queso Fresco “Fresh Cheese” made by Queseria La Poblanita, Inc., 216 E. 117th St., New York, NY, 10035, due to possible Staphylococcus aureus contamination. To date, no illnesses are known by the Department of Agriculture and Markets to be associated with this product.
The recalled fresh Spanish-style cheese is sold in 12 oz. plastic tub packages with a label declaring a plant # 36/8585, and a product lot code of MAY 13, 2015. The manufacturer presented on the package is: “Queseria La Poblanita Inc. 216 E. 117th St., New York, NY 10035.” The product was distributed to stores and delis in the metropolitan New York area.
A routine sample of the cheese, collected by an inspector from the Department’s Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services on April 15, 2015, was subsequently tested by the New York State Food Laboratory and discovered to be contaminated with high levels of Staphylococcus aureus . The manufacturer was notified of the positive test result and voluntarily recalled the product.
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The journal ‘Eurosurveillance’ is inviting authors to submit papers for a special issue on the impact of anthropogenic changes to water on human pathogens and the epidemiology of infectious diseases and relevance for public health.
The submission deadline has been extended to 13 May 2015.
Water can act as a solvent for antimicrobials, antifungals, antivirals, pesticides, and heavy metals. The release of such substances in the water can lead to the development of respective resistance in pathogens or related vectors. The resistance can spread between pathogens (e.g. via plasmid exchange), but resistant pathogens can also be propagated further in the environment via currents, or food webs, allowing humans to be exposed in new ways.
The aim of this special issue is to provide examples relevant for European public health, on how anthropogenic changes to water affect epidemiology of human infectious disease and how these changes cause infections with pathogens exhibiting novel drug resistance and/or virulence patterns.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
For guidance on submitting papers or for further information, consult the Eurosurveillance instructions for authors regarding article formats (at http://www.eurosurveillance.org/Public/ForAuthors/ForAuthors.aspx) or contact the editorial team at eurosurveillance@ecdc.europa.eu. [Source: Eurosurveillance, 16 April 2015. http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=21092]
The Department of Health said there is “very strong evidence” linking Nanna’s recalled berries with an increased risk of developing Hep A.
Assistant Minister for Health, Senator Fiona Nash, said rigorous scientific analysis of information from interviews with affected people, comparisons with people who were not ill, as well as tracing the source of berries eaten by affected people, had been extensive.
“There is very strong evidence that consumption of Nanna’s 1kg fresh frozen mixed berries led to an increased risk of developing Hepatitis A infection in this outbreak,” Senator Nash said.
Superior Nut & Candy Co., Inc. is recalling 4 ounce packages Pine Nuts because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail and elderly people, and other with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
The recalled Pine Nuts were distributed nationwide in retail stores.
The product come in a 4-ounce packages of Pine Nuts are sold in store Produce Departments with a clear package front and tan-colored label on the back. The back label list Pine Nuts as the only ingredient and has the UPC Number of 72549320016 with a Best By date between 10/22/2015 to 12/27/2015 on the back label.
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the problem.
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Tagged fatal infections, Inc., Nut & Candy Co., Pine Nuts, salmonella, weakened immune systems, young children
CAMARILLO, Calif. – A rare strain of salmonella has been reported in Ventura County and appears connected to sushi and other raw fish, possibly tuna, public health officials said Monday.
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A butcher who used a toilet entrance to vacuum-pack cooked meat has been been ordered to pay £4,400 after admitting a string of food safety offences.
Kevin Blanchard, of Master Butcher in Trelawney Avenue, Langley, was sentenced at Slough Magistrates’ Court on April 2 after pleading guilty to seven offences.
They included failing to ensure that lavatories did not open directly into rooms in which food is handled, failing to put in place and implement permanent food safety procedures, and not keeping the premises clean.
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Tagged Kevin Blanchard, Master Butcher, Slough Magistrates’ Court
With information abounding on the health benefits of breast milk for infants, a growing number of under-producing mothers are eschewing formula and instead turning to online marketplaces to buy breast milk directly from other moms. In the past year, somewhere around 55,000 women sold their excess breast milk online, up from 13,000 in 2011.
Business may be booming for sellers, but parents on the buying end really have no idea what they’re feeding their children, and experts are loudly warning that the risks far outweigh the benefits.
Simply put, breast milk sold online has the potential to contain unwanted bacteria or viruses, could come from someone using illegal drugs or nicotine, or may be fraudulently supplemented with cow’s milk. In some cases, it’s all of the above.
FoodWorld 